How Much Will My 401(k) Be Worth at Retirement?

Published October 12, 2026

Free tool: 401(k) Calculator→

A 401(k) grows from three sources: what you contribute, what your employer adds, and investment growth on both. Over a career, growth usually ends up the biggest of the three. This guide shows how much a 401(k) can grow with a worked example and how to make the most of it, using the free 401(k) Calculator.

Example: starting at 30

You're 30, earn $75,000 with 3% yearly raises, have $25,000 saved and contribute 6% of your salary. Your employer matches 50% of your contributions on the first 6% of salary, and your investments earn 7% a year. At 65:

• Your 401(k): $1,635,798
• In today's dollars (2.5% inflation): about $689,278
• Monthly income at a 4% withdrawal rate: roughly $5,453 before tax

Where it comes from:

Always get the full match

The employer match is an immediate return on your money. In the example, contributing only 3% instead of 6% leaves about $1,125 a year of matching money on the table and cuts the balance at 65 to about $951,356.

Raising your contribution makes a big difference over decades:

A common target is 10% to 15% of salary in total, including the match. If that's hard now, raising your contribution by 1 point every year, often timed with raises, gets you there gradually.

2026 contribution limits

For 2026, the IRS lets you defer up to $24,500 of salary into a 401(k). If you're 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up, or $11,250 if you're 60 to 63. Employer matching contributions don't count toward your own limit. The calculator caps your contributions at these limits if you tick the box, and assumes they rise with inflation.

Other things to know

• Vesting: employer contributions may only become yours after a few years of service; check your plan's schedule.
• Traditional or Roth 401(k): traditional contributions lower your taxes now and are taxed when withdrawn; Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free in retirement.
• Fees compound too: a low-cost index fund can leave you noticeably more at retirement.
• Early withdrawals before 59½ usually mean income tax plus a 10% penalty.

For your overall target, see How Much Do I Need to Retire?

How to use the 401(k) Calculator

1. Open the 401(k) Calculator.
2. Enter your age, retirement age and current balance.
3. Enter your salary, expected yearly raise and contribution as a percentage of salary.
4. Enter the employer match: the share of your contributions they add and the share of salary it applies to (for example, 50% of the first 6%).
5. Enter the expected return and inflation, and choose whether to cap contributions at the IRS limit.
6. Read the results: your balance at retirement, the value in today's dollars, your contributions, the employer match, the investment growth and a 4% monthly income estimate, with a chart of your balance by age, a breakdown of where the money comes from and a year-by-year table.

Frequently asked questions

How much will my 401(k) be worth when I retire?

It depends on your contributions, match, returns and time. Starting at 30 with $75,000 of salary, 6% contributions and a 50% match on 6%, it could reach about $1.6 million at 65 at a 7% return.

What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

$24,500 of employee contributions, plus an $8,000 catch-up from age 50, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63.

How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

At least enough to get the full employer match, then work toward 10% to 15% of your salary in total, including the match.